Pakistan to become fourth most populous nation in world by 2030: Experts

Kashmir Times. Dated: 10/4/2018 5:40:53 PM

LAHORE, Oct 3 (Agencies): The latest problem worrying authorities in Pakistan is population explosion. A report in Pakistan-based Dawn News has said that the country would become the fourth most populous nation in the world by 2030. Currently ranked as sixth most populous nation in the world, Pakistan may move two ranks higher if the population continues to increase at the same pace.The report quoted experts as saying that the cause of the population menace was that not much attention was ever paid to the issue of family planning. They said that while the governments/authorities never took the issue seriously, the steps that were taken were also not in the right direction.The concern was raised by some experts at a panel discussion on the issue organised by the Dow University of Health Sciences in Karachi.Experts, who were part of the discussion, stressed on the need of more awareness programmes, and on education of women. Issues such as deaths during pregnancy and infant mortality rate were also taken up for discussion. It was highlighted that Pakistan had 80% rate of teenage pregnancy. Besides, the menace of early marriages was also cited as one of the causes of rapid increase in population. Two other major factors highlighted during the discussion were “absence” of women in decision making and “desire” to have male child.The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics had in August 2017 said that the country’s population had risen to 208 million. In a statement on the country’s first census conducted in 19 years, the bureau had said, “The provisional results show the total population of Pakistan as 207.774 million, with an average annual growth rate of 2.4 per cent over a period of 1998-2017.”As per the findings, Pakistan's population had increased 57 per cent since 1998, the last time there was a census held.